CH 120

「Ooi, newbies! Bring this in next!」 「「Yees!!」」

Inglis and Rafinha, dressed in a maid’s attire, cheerfully replied, and left the palace’s pantry with a wagon full of platters to carry the food. It was a simple task of bringing the food from the pantry to the venue where the party would be held.

Inglis and Rafinha were just day laborers for this one busy day, so this was all they were allowed to do.

However, it was exceedingly fun.

「Uwaaaah~~~ Looks so tasty! So appetizing!!」 「Foods in the Palace are different after all……!」

Vivid colors, sophisticated aromas, profound flavors——

This was the craft of a first-rate chef using first-rate ingredients with care. It wasn’t that the food at the Knight Academy’s cafeteria was bad, but still, the food here was on a different level.

「Ah, you eat that too much, Rani. The pile of lobsters are already gone now.」 「Says you, Glis. You can’t be eating all the meat like that, you know.」

They had made quite a progress on snitching the food while they carried the wagon through the long corridor that cuts through the garden, behind everyone’s back.

This was something they shouldn’t do, and they were well aware of it.

However, the Ironblood Chain Brigade would come and crash this welcoming party tonight. And, if that was the case, then the food would be better eaten now, even if a little.

*VWOOM VWOOM—— VWOOM VWOOOM—— *

A low, echoing, vibrating sound came from a place far from them. It was from above, over their heads, or even higher. It came from beyond the skies.

As if breaking through the dusk-tinted clouds, a Highland Aerial Battleship revealed itself.

「Uwaah…That’s a huge ship. As big as Lord Theodore’s, if not more……!」 「You’re right. Who’s the one in charge, I wonder…」 「……If possible, I’d prefer a decent person, like Lord Theodore or Lady Cyrene. It’s also part of our duty to protect them, after all……」

Inglis and Rafinha had gone undercover to guard the King and the Highland envoy from the assault of the Ironblood Chain Brigade. They deliberately didn’t inform the Royal Palace or the Imperial Guard Order about the attack. It was Principal Miliera’s decision, as well as what Inglis wished.

「But I have a feeling they’d be someone like Rahal or Myynti……If they are, I don’t feel like guarding them at all~」

Grunted Rafinha.

「We’ve never seen His Majesty the King too, haven’t we.」 「You’re right, we haven’t. Maybe he’s a jerk person too? He doesn’t get along with His Highness Wayne, right? And His Highness is a good person, so……」 「Fufu. I guess so.」

What cute naive notion. To Rafinha, only good and bad people couldn’t get along with each other.

While in reality, morals hardly mattered, as ideals and position would make all the difference at getting along with one another. In short, compatibility. The chemistry they shared. Good and bad had nothing to do with it.

「Well, I’m fine either way. There are plenty of opponents to fight already, too.」

Since Leone and Liselotte have supposedly seen the Black Mask, Cystia, and Leon, that means those three will surely make an appearance. An Ether wielder, a Hyrule Menace, and a former Holy Knight. The battlefield where I can take on all of them at once is here, at this very place. Isn’t that simply wonderful?

Then, after capturing them, I plan to head towards the Academy’s main force. I’ll join the mission led by the principal and senior Silva to annihilate all the Magic Stone Beasts that Miss Ripple summons. There will be a lot of Magic Stone Beasts to fight there, and there might be some powerful ones that I haven’t seen before.

「Ufufu……I can’t wait, it’s been a while since I could fight without restraint.」 「Really, Glis, you’re just like usual. Even I’m getting a bit nervous myself, you know?」 「You only need to be able to genuinely enjoy the very fight itself. There are strong enemies. Fight. Fun. That’s all you ever have to feel.」 「No no……There are a lot of other things to think about, okay?! Well, that does sound like you, Glis.」

And thus the prep work continued on——

The venue was full of people. The party attendees, the musicians who decorated the venue with music, and the knights who lined up all along the venue’s wall to guard the event. Inglis, Rafinha, and the other maids were also waiting at the far end of the venue to serve the guests.

Then, an elderly man in an extravagant gown made an appearance, his gait leisurely. He was tall and burly, a big man for his age, with a bit of gray patch on his hair.

His position was evident from the magnificent specter he carried in his hand. Beside him, the Commander of the Imperial Guard Order, Redas, took position.

「Ooh, the King made His appearance——」 「His Majesty King Charleas……!」 「Long live the King!」

Cheers surrounded King Charleas. From what Inglis could see, he seemed to be an imposing and dignified figure, well-liked by his people. And, more than that…

「Heeh……So His Majesty has a Special Grade Rune.」

Gleaming on the back of the King’s right hand was, unmistakably, a Special Grade Rune.

「Seems like it. That means he must be strong, so protecting him should be easy as pie.」 「That’s not for sure. Being a King means you don’t have time to train.」

Spoken from her previous life experience; If he was an honest, serious King, then that was absolutely the case. There was no other way.

「? That’s rare of you Glis, not saying you want to fight him.」 「No, I didn’t say I don’t want to either, right?」 「……You can’t, okay? Even if we’re given a chance to talk with him, don’t ever say anything weird, okay?」

Then, King Charleas called out to the gathering attendee.

「It is my great pleasure to invite an envoy of the Highland tonight. The envoy has promised to send us a new Hyrule Menace in response to our Kingdom’s Hyrule Menace’s abnormal condition. With this opportunity, the future of our Kingdom shall become even more prosperous.」

He held up the specter and uttered those words, which were greeted with a crack of applause.

「What about the matter with Arlman and Shealot!? He didn’t mention anything about them! Ah, do we no longer have to give up territories anymore?」 「I don’t think that’s the case. It’s normal in these situations to only speak of the results and omit the bad stuff in-between, you know?」 「……That sounds sly.」

It was endearing how pure Rafinha’s disapproval of him was. Inglis squinted her eyes joyfully.

「Then, let us welcome our envoy. Everyone, I beseech you not to be rude with him.」

Announced the King before he bowed his head towards the entrance of the venue. Everyone followed after him, then… a Highlander, prominent with the stigma on his forehead, entered the venue.

His eyes were heterochromia, red in one and blue in the other. His hair was pure white, but there were two tufts of hair that was in the same red and blue respectively on his forelock. He was dressed in lavishly decorated armor but… his stature was small.

「A kid……?」

Indeed, the one that came was a young Highlander, only about ten-years old at most.